More than 65 cyclists turn out for ‘Ride of Silence’

With their heads down on the road and not saying a word, about 65 cyclists gathered for an 8-mile Ride of Silence on Wednesday to remember bicycle riders who have fallen on roadways and to raise awareness for motorists.

Columbus City Manager Isaiah Hugley joined many of the riders dressed in colorful cycling suits and representing groups throughout the city for the 6 p.m. event at the Columbus Museum. With a police escort, riders quietly rode from the museum on Wynnton Road to 13th Street, Cherokee and Hilton avenues to Broadway before returning to the museum.

Similar rides took place in other cities across Georgia.

“We wanted to get people to understand the bicycle law and be treated as a motorist,” said Jason McKenzie, owner of Ride on Bikes on Broadway and the coordinator of a series of events for Bike Week. “It’s not just a cyclist. It’s your brother, it’s your teacher at a school or at a store. It’s a person.”

In his second year supporting the event, Hugley said Columbus is working toward being a more bike-friendly city.

“I look forward to the near future when we are able to provide a bike way from the spider web all the way to 13th and Wynnton,” he said before the ride. “We also are going to be doing some things on Martin Luther King Jr. (Boulevard), the Liberty District, all over Columbus.”

The city manager recognized support the city has received from River Valley Regional Commission, Ride on Bikes, MidTown Columbus and the Community Foundation. Hugley pointed to a bright yellow sign on display at the front of the museum that stated “3 feet, It’s the Law.” The sign is referring to the amount of space motorists must allow cyclist on a roadway.

Thirty signs will be scattered throughout the city to promote joint usage of the roadways.

McKenzie said the ride also gave riders a chance to remember some cyclists who have been lost or injured during incidents on the roadways. He recalled the death of racer Scott Matty and the serious injury to Jeff Davis in February 2008. Both riders were struck from behind in Harris County.

“It’s one of those things,” McKenzie said. “We are trying to remember them and not only to bring awareness.”

The goal of the ride isn’t to scare people but to educate people on the rules about cycling. “A cyclist has to stop at a red light like a car,” McKenzie said.

Thousands of cyclists will be gathering in cities like Washington and others for similar events this week.

This story was originally published May 18, 2016 at 9:03 PM with the headline "More than 65 cyclists turn out for ‘Ride of Silence’."